I looked at his round, ripe face, on which was fixed a smile unchanging as that worn by the masks on mummy coffins, from which I think he must have copied it, and at the cold, deep eyes above, and shivered a little.  To tell truth I feared this man, whom I felt to be in touch with presences and things that are not of our world, and thought it wisest to withstand him no more.

“That is a question which you had best put to my master Seti who owns this house.  Come, I will lead you to him,” I said.

So we went to the great portico of the palace, passing in and out through the painted pillars, towards my own apartments, whence I purposed to send a message to the Prince.  As it chanced this was needless, since presently we saw him seated in a little bay out of reach of the sun.  By his side was Merapi, and on a woven rug between them lay their sleeping infant, at whom both of them gazed adoringly.

“Strange that this mother’s heart should hide more might than can be boasted by all the gods of Egypt.  Strange that those mother’s eyes can rive the ancient glory of Amon into dust!” Ki said to me in so low a voice that it almost seemed as though I heard his thought and not his words, which perhaps indeed I did.

Now we stood in front of these three, and the sun being behind us, for it was still early, the shadow of the cloaked Ki fell upon a babe and lay there.  A hateful fancy came to me.  It looked like the evil form of an embalmer bending over one new dead.  The babe felt it, opened its large eyes and wailed.  Merapi saw it, and snatched up her child.  Seti too rose from his seat, exclaiming, “Who comes?”

Thereon, to my amazement, Ki prostrated himself and uttered the salutation which may only be given to the King of Egypt:  “Life!  Blood!  Strength!  Pharaoh!  Pharaoh!  Pharaoh!”

“Who dares utter those words to me?” said Seti.  “Ana, what madman do you bring here?”

“May it please the Prince, he brought me here,” I replied faintly.

“Fellow, tell me who bade you say such words, than which none were ever less welcome.”

“Those whom I serve, Prince.”

“And whom do you serve?”

“The gods of Egypt.”

“Then, man, I think the gods must need your company.  Pharaoh does not sit at Memphis, and were he to hear of them——­”

“Pharaoh will never hear them, Prince, until he hears all things.”

They stared at each other.  Then, as I had done by the gate Seti rubbed his eyes, and said: 

“Surely this is Ki.  Why, then, did you look otherwise just now?”

“The gods can change the fashion of their messenger a thousand times in a flash, if so they will, O Prince.”

Now Seti’s anger passed, and turned to laughter.

“Ki, Ki,” he said, “you should keep these tricks for Court.  But, since you are in the mood, what salutation have you for this lady by my side?”